of Marin’s assassination. I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought it was poetic to plan another assassination on this date again.”
Dread pooled in my stomach at his words. Surely they wouldn’t. Not here. Not now.
“But this is an Academy. We’re students. Who in the world would they want to assassinate here?”
Something flickered in his eyes, and he glanced at the cracked door again. “Have you told anyone else about how you were able to heal Kael?”
Alarmed, I shook my head. “No, I didn’t really know how to explain it without giving away the fact I went to the Winter Court to find some Starlight for Bree.”
“Good.” He nodded. “What about your roommate? Did you tell her?”
“I...” I shook my head. It was awful. There had been so many times when I’d wanted to tell her. Keeping secrets from my closest friend at the Academy felt like the biggest betrayal of them all, but every time I opened my mouth, the words got stuck in my throat. Sometimes, it felt like I was living a double life. “I’m not really used to having friends. I was scared if she knew what I’ve been up to, she’d want to run far, far away.”
“Well, that’s ridiculous,” he said in a low growl. “Anyone who isn’t fond of you is an idiot, especially if they knew how pure your heart is.”
I blinked at his words. I wouldn’t exactly call my heart pure, especially when it was currently yearning for the affections of four different fae males. But I didn’t dare say that out loud. Instead, I smiled, yearning to reach out and wrap my arms around his neck and—
Footsteps sounded in the hall outside, and Liam cocked his head with a frown. “She’s back. Don’t tell her about your gifts, Norah. Don’t tell anyone.”
That evening, we all dined together. The Summer Royals had arrived, along with the Spring fae contingent. Only the Winter fae had yet to walk through the Academy’s front doors. Extra tables had been added to the expansive Great Hall, along with hundreds of flickering candles, and the buzz of conversation made the place feel electric and alive.
Everyone was excited about the upcoming ball. Changelings had taken it upon themselves to find dates, much to the Head Instructor’s disapproval. Griff and Lila were going together while Sophia had been asked by one of the third-year students. The Instructors—a.k.a. our future mates—were strictly forbidden from participating in any sort of pairing up, so it seemed the changelings were just trying to make the best of the situation.
“I’m actually glad I’m going with Griff,” Lila whispered into my ear. “I mean, is it horrible that I like him so much more than any of our potential mates? I mean, I figure I’m a Summer, right? Look at me. Flaming red hair. I love the sunshine. But Liam? I don’t know. He just doesn’t do it for me.”
“He certainly does it for me,” I muttered beneath my breath, remembering the way his tongue had driven me wild.
She cocked her head. “What?”
My cheeks flamed. Had I just said that out loud?
“Nothing,” I said quickly.
“Sam said the same,” she added. “She’s pretty certain she’s Autumn, and she doesn’t have any interest in Rourke. And Sophia has barely looked at Finn. What about you? You’re going to end up mated to Kael, right? I mean, he’s just so cold and distant. I can’t imagine him kissing anyone? It’d be like kissing a wet noodle.”
“A wet noodle?” A flicker of irritation went through me. “Well, that’s just rude. Sure, they can be kind of annoying at times, but they’re the strongest men I’ve ever met in my life. I can’t imagine how you could think anyone is better than them. Hell, I’d mate with all of them if I could.”
The room had gone strangely silent, and my words echoed off the walls around me. My heart froze in my chest as I slowly turned to find that every single fae in the room was staring right at me. I swallowed hard, and my whole neck went white hot.
This was...embarrassing, to say the least.
Gripping the table, I turned toward the table at my left where the instructors were all dining together. Yep, sure enough, all four of them had heard me. They were staring at me, each wearing an expression that ranged from amusement to shock to intrigue. My god. If only the floor would open up and swallow me whole right now.